THE SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL GUARD HAS BIG PLANS FOR THE OLD DONALDSON CENTER... BUT NOT EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN THAT AREA IS HAPPY ABOUT IT. THE GUARD PLANS TO CONDUCT HELICOPTER TRAINING EXERCISES. AND SOME NEIGHBORS WORRY.. IT'LL CREATE TOO MUCH NOISE. WYFF NEWS 4'S TIM WALLER IS LIVE AT GREENVILLE COUNTY SQUARE.. WHERE THE PLAN IS BEING PRESENTED TO COUNTY COUNCIL. NIGEL, WHAT THE GUARD PLANS TO DO IS USE BIG CHINOOK HELICOPTERS TO CARRY GIANT SLABS OF CONCRETE TO SMALL AIRPORTS ACROSS THE UPSTATE. AND THE CONCERN IS.. CONDUCTING THOSE EXERCISES.. AS WELL AS ADDING TWO NATIONAL GUARD BATTALIONS TO THE ARMY AVIATION SUPPORT FACILITY AT SC-TAC.. WILL KICK UP THE NOISE LEVEL IN A BIG WAY. AND HERE ARE THE HELICOPTERS THEY'LL USE FOR THAT TRAINING. SIX LARGE CHINOOK HELICOPTERS.. THAT ARE USED TO TRANSPORT TROOPS AND ARTILLERY IN BATTLEFIELD SITUATIONS... AND FOUR LAKOTA HELICOPTERS.. WHICH ARE SMALLER THAN CHINOOKS, BUT ARE ALSO POWERED BY TURBINE ENGINES. AS PART OF THE TRAINING, THE CHINOOKS WILL CARRY 25-THOUSANED POUND SLABS OF CONCRETE.. AT LOW- ALTITUTE.. FROM SC-TAC TO AIRPORTS AROUND THE UPSTATE. ED PAXTON, WHO LIVES NEAR SC-TAC, SAYS THAT'S A LOT OF NOISE. "In the last 45 days, we've had a 50-percent increase in noise from the Donaldson facility from helicopters, so obviously they've already got units stationed here." THE SOUTH CAROLINA NATIONAL GUARD SAYS THERE IS NO NEED FOR HOMEOWNERS TO WORRY. AND THEY CITE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT THAT WAS DONE.. THAT FOUND THERE WILL BE NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN NOISE. THE PRESENTATION HERE HAS JUST STARTED. WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ARISE. TIM WALLER, WYFF NEWS 4, LIVE IN GREENVILLE.

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